Melting the Icy Heart
by Shadow of Dark Souls
Summary: SetoxOC. A girl moves into Domino City for reasons unknown and meets the infamous Seto Kaiba. He begins to feel something he's never felt before in the presence of a woman...love...though it takes him quite some time to admit it. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**My first FanFiction story! Finally! I hope you like it!**

**I felt that there were too many yaoi pairings in the Yugioh section and I wanted to write a male x female love story. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yugioh**

* * *

--Your POV--

You had just moved into your penthouse apartment 2 weeks ago. It wasn't what you were used to, but you quite liked the cozy feel. Your art materials were scattered all over your desk and a beautiful dragon drawing was hanging above it. You loved to draw and you had a portfolio of some of your proudest work that you were going to hang around your house.

Many things still lay in suitcases, waiting to be unpacked, but you hadn't the heart to take things out. You sighed as your stared at the school uniform you would be wearing to Domino High. It was a blue pleated skirt with a light pink blouse; you absolutely despised the color pink.

You felt nervous, being that you were going to join a high school senior class midway throughout their school year. Who would be your friend? Everybody there had had four years to get to know each other and you were just the new kid…an outsider. Oh well, you were used to being a loner: no friendships meant that no one could hurt you anymore.

You decided to head to the neighborhood arcade and play a few games to take your mind off of things. When you walked in, you noticed a small boy in the back left, playing a racing game on his own. He looked lonely, so you decided to go over to him.

"Hi, do you mind if I join you?" The boys' purplish gray eyes lit up brightly and he said "Of course not! I've been looking for someone to play with for a while now."

"I'm Nuitari. What's your name?" you asked.

"I'm Mokuba". You did your best to smile warmly at him "Nice to meet you" you said as happily as you could. He somehow reminded you of someone you once knew…

A few minutes later…"Score! I win!!" you exclaimed. "Aw…rematch rematch!" You hadn't had this much fun in a while.

"Hey Mokuba, how old are you?" you asked as you put in another coin to play.

"I'm 12 and I live with my big brother. He's the best!" You couldn't help but smile at that. It seemed like this little boy really cared for his brother. You decided against asking him about his parents; you knew that could be a touchy subject. "So what do you like to do, Mokuba?" you asked instead.

You asked him general questions about books, movies, games, the usual small talk. As you walked out of the arcade with him, he said: "that was the most fun I've had in ages!"

You laughed, ruffling his hair. "Me too, Mokuba."

"Can we play again sometime?" he pleaded.

"Sure! I'm a pretty big gamer myself so I'll be seeing you around the arcade often, ok?"

"OK!! Promise??" his eyes were so big and he was so sweet. How could you say no?

"Of course, Mokuba". The two of you parted ways there. You walked back to your house, a few blocks away, thinking that maybe finding friends wouldn't be so difficult after all. Sure, he was only 12, but a friend is a friend!

You saw Mokuba a few more times before school started and you got to him quite well. You even brought him over to your house to show him your artwork after he begged you to take him there.

--Mokuba's POV--

You ran home after you said goodbye to Nuitari. You hadn't told your brother who your new friend was, but you felt that you should tell him because you knew you would be seeing her more often. As you opened the doors to the mansion you lived in, you heard your brother yelling at someone on the phone. You sighed as you shut the door behind you.

Ever since Seto had become president of Kaiba Corp., he always seemed to be in a bad mood. He was always yelling at people and he constantly worked late. You barely got to see him anymore, which made you miss the old days…when he used to actually smile at you on in a while. But you loved him nonetheless and you always did your best to cheer him up.

"Rough day?" you said as he angrily hung up.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his temples from the headache that was coming on. Your face lit up in a smile as you remembered what you were going to tell him.

"You'll never guess what happened at the arcade the other day!!"

"Enlighten me," came the sarcastic response. You were used to this attitude so you kept going,

"I met this girl, her name is Nuitari, and she is so wickedly awesome! I've been playing games with her for the past two weeks and she bought me ice cream and she took me to her house and she's an amazing artist and…"

--Seto's POV--

"WELL FIND ME SOMETHING!" you yelled angrily into the phone as you heard Mokuba come in through the front door. You slammed down the phone, closed your eyes and sighed.

You were trying to find out information about Masaki Corporation's virtual reality systems. They seemed to be remarkably similar to the ones you designed years ago and you had a hunch they were stealing your technology and calling it their own. However, those imbeciles you called employees couldn't seem to find any reason to suspect the opposing company.

If this kept up, you would just have to take over that portion of the corporation.

"Rough day?" you hear your brother ask you. You mumbled a "yeah" just before Mokuba asked you to guess something.

"Enlighten me," you said sarcastically. Mokuba began to launch into one of his stories and you sighed again. You loved your little brother more then anything else, but he really could be annoying after a long day of work. You cut him off halfway through,

"Mokuba, I'm tired. I've got to go to school tomorrow so we'll, talk later, ok?"

"Oh, ok" he said sadly. You never got to look at the expression on his face before you walked up the grand staircase up to your bedroom. Work at your company was getting harder and harder and you had to focus on school?

You had promised yourself four years ago that you would at least finish a high school education otherwise you wouldn't be respected in the business world.

"Only half a year more," you told yourself as you showered and went to bed.

The next morning you got up at 5:30 to get some work done before Roland took you to school at 7:45. When you arrived, you grabbed your briefcase and walked briskly to the math classroom. You kept a cold and blank look in your eyes as you walked, sensing that everyone was turning to look at you as you passed.

You smiled inwardly. _That's right, I'm better all of you_ you thought as you continued walking. You sat down at your usual desk and pulled out the morning newspaper to read. For the next 10 minutes, the rest of your class came into the classroom and began talking amongst themselves.

"Useless garbage about the weekend" you scoffed. The bell rang and you heard the teacher say

"Class, you will have a new student joining you for the rest of this year. She's going to introduce herself".

Suddenly, the whole room went quiet. What could possibly be so important about a new student that would make everybody quiet? You turned to look at Joey Wheeler, sitting a few rows down from you. He had the loudest mouth you had ever heard and even he was sitting quietly.

"Finally" you thought, "someone taught the dog to shut up". But you noticed from his face that he, along with all the other boys in the class, were gaping at something at the front of the class.

You turned your head to the front of the room to see what everyone was staring at and your eyes widened slightly. You weren't easily taken by surprise but you understood why the room was so quiet.

A very attractive girl stood at the front of the room. She was taller than average and her uniform fit her slight frame quite nicely. She had long black hair which covered a small portion of the left side of her face, making her look a little mysterious. Her face was long and skinny and curved into a slightly pointy chin. Her lips were small and pink and she had a small nose that every girl would envy.

But the most stunning feature about her was her eyes. They were a beautiful deep aqua color and sparkled in the light of the room. You noticed a small hint of sadness in them, though. Before you could look at them longer, she spoke.

"Hi. My name is Nuitari," she said. Her voice was soft and soothing, yet you felt a strength in her quiet words.

--Your POV--

You said hi to the class and you heard all the guys except one say

"H-Hi, N-Nuitari". All the girls were glaring you like you had just stolen their prom date. You laughed silently to yourself because you had never gotten this kind of reaction before. You did a quick scan of the room and noticed that the guy that didn't say hi to you was the best looking one in the class.

"Since there is only once desk available, you may sit next to Mr. Seto Kaiba" the teacher said to you as she pointed to the seat next to the very same man.

You observed him more carefully as you walked toward the desk. He really was very handsome. You could tell he was tall by the length of his legs and torso. By the loose way his clothes fit on him, you knew he was quite fit. His eyes were a piercing sapphire blue and made you catch your breath.

"Great," you thought. "First day of school and I'm already developing a crush." He looked really angry though. His eyes looked empty yet they held this amazingly cold stare. The phrase "if looks could kill" popped into your mind. Why was he so upset?

As you sat down the teacher said

"Alright, class, pop quiz!" Everybody but you and the boy named Seto groaned out loud.

"Don't worry, it's just some easy math," the teacher said jokingly. Everybody groaned again as they saw the supposedly 'easy' quiz placed on their desk. When you looked at it, you sighed. This was nothing compared to what you were learning in America. You quickly wrote down all the answers and said 'done' quietly.

You heard another 'done' the exact same time you said it and were surprised that it was the voice of Seto next to you. His voice was deep and attractive…

"Stop it," you sternly told yourself. As you turned in your quiz to the teacher walking by, you heard the girl behind you hiss loudly into your ear:

"Back off, newbie! He's mine!" You kept your head facing forward but moved your eyes to the side to look at her. You couldn't see much of her but you could smell a buttload of perfume coming off of her.

--Seto's POV--

"Back off, newbie! He's mine!" you heard. You rolled your eyes. Chantelle had been trying to get your attention for the past four years and you were getting really fed up with her. You had made it very clear to her several times that you had absolutely no interest but she just wouldn't give up!

You smirked to yourself as you thought, _actually, a lot of girls in this school are after me. And why wouldn't they? I know I look good_. Too bad all these girls were just dumb twits anyway. You were the head of one of the most prestigious corporations around the world. You didn't want some bimbo for a girlfriend.

Actually, you weren't interested in a girlfriend at this time, anyway. Too many distractions with all the dates and talks and all that nonsense. You had company to run and nothing would stand in the way of your job.

--Your POV--

The bell for the end of class rang and Seto stood up quickly and left the room. You were right, he was quite tall and he looked really good, too. As you stood up and grabbed your schedule to see where you were headed next, a bunch of guys crowded up to you, begging to take you to your next class.

"I have physics next," you said quietly.

"Perfect, me too. Come on, I'll take you there," you heard. All the other guys looked disappointed as they parted ways to let a tall man with raven black hair approach you.

"I'm Duke Devlin. Nice to meet you". He had a red headband on to keep his long hair out of his face and an earring in the shape of a dice hanging from his left ear. He wore a sleeveless top and vest, showing off his well-toned arms. His eyes were big and green. He seemed nice enough and he was quite attractive…

Though not as much as Seto. He walked with you to the physics classroom, asking you questions along the way. You smiled and laughed at some of his questions, but you answered all of them honestly. You had found friend #2 in this city.

After physics Duke pointed you to the French classroom. When you got there, the teacher asked you to introduce yourself. It was only 3rd period and you were already sick of telling everybody what your name was.

As you did you introduction, you noticed Seto in the back corner of the class, and it just so happened that the only empty seat was next to him. He still looked really angry and impatient. He didn't say anything except for when the teacher called on him; he spoke French like it was his first language.

He spoke smoothly and fluently, his deep and sensual voice making it all the better. When the teacher asked you a question, you responded just as fluently as he had. You had practiced French a lot in the past so you were quite comfortable with the language.

"Oh good," the teacher said after your response.

"Finally, someone that will be able to keep up with Mr. Seto Kaiba when it comes to group work". You gave the teacher a small smile but noticed that Seto kept his face blank. What was his problem?

When lunchtime came around, Duke beckoned for you to sit at a table with all of his friends.

"This is Yugi, Joey, Tea, Tristan, and Bakura" he said as each of his friends waved to you. They were all very friendly and welcoming towards you. You decided to ask them about Seto Kaiba and why he looked so angry.

"He own his own company and he's just really busy and stressed out," Yugi told you.

"No, he's a grade-A jerk who doesn't give a you-know-what about anyone else!" Joey said fiercely. You were shocked. Joey seemed like such a nice and outgoing person, you weren't expecting that from him.

"Yeah," Tea added.

"He's really mean to all of us and won't pass up an opportunity to insult us".

You were even more surprised by that. Tea was such a calm and quiet girl. Seto must have been pretty awful to them for her to say that.

"Well he's just sore because mah man Yugi here is the only person to have ever beaten him at the game of Duel Monsters. Do you play?" Joey asked you as he slapped Yugi on the back. You smiled,

"Yes, I do."

"ALRIGHT!" Joey shouted. "Let's duel!" You gave him a blank face as Tea pulled his ear,

"Calm down Mr. Showoff. Lunch is almost over and this is no time to duel."

"Some other time, maybe" you promised.

"Well, I suppose. Just expect to get a good butt-whooping!"

You giggled, "We'll see."

"So are you here by yourself, Nuitari?" Yugi asked you, trying to change the subject. You hesitated a little before answering.

"My parents and my younger sister are in America. I really miss them sometimes," you replied.

"Tell us about them," Joey insisted; so you did. You told them all about their personalities and how much you cared for them.

"It's sounds like you're really close to them," Tea said.

"Yeah…in a way" you responded quietly. Before they could ask you anything else, the bell rang for the next class to start. Duke walked you to class and you told him how nice everybody was.

"Yeah, they're awesome, aren't they?" You couldn't help but agree.

The rest of the day was really boring and so was the rest of the week. On Friday, though, something rather interesting happened…

* * *

**Ok, first chapter done! I know it seems kinda slow right now, but please keep reading! Things start to pick up in the next chapter or two. Drop a review, too!**


	2. Chapter 2

~~Friday~~

--Seto's POV--

You were walking to your limo at the end of school when you saw Chantelle approaching you.

"Great. Just what I need right now," you muttered. Before she got to you, though, you saw her purposely slam into Nuitari, who was walking towards you as well.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Chantelle screeched. Nuitari let out a small sigh as she bent down to pick up the binder and papers that she had dropped.

"Hi Seto," Chantelle said flirtatiously to you as she walked by. You didn't acknowledge her, just like you hadn't for the past three years. You were about to walk past Nuitari without paying her any attention, either, but you picked up a picture off the ground that you guessed was hers.

You saw what was presumably a couple with their daughter. The little girl looked kind of like Nuitari so you assumed that it was her parents in the picture.

"Hey, Kaiba! Give that back!" you heard as you turned around. Joey Wheeler was running up to you. _So what do you want now? _you thought to yourself.

"Joey, stop!" Nuitari said as she prevented Joey from running any farther.

"Lemme at 'im, lemme at' im!" he kept saying.

"Calm down, Joey! He just picked up a photo!" Nuitari said, struggling to keep Joey still.

"Joey if you don't stop, you're going to get hurt," she insisted.

"That's right," you said to him. "Calm down and sit, _dog_." you sneered. Joey looked like he was about to blow a fuse.

"Whatever," you said as you flicked the photo back to Nuitari. She caught it like one would catch a duel monsters card. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open as she could only stare at you, unable to form a thank you. You ignored her and continued to walk to your limo.

"Yeah, just walk away, rich boy!" you heard Joey yelling behind you. He never knew when to shut up, did he?

--Your POV--

Seto threw the picture of your parents and sister back at you. Unable to say anything, you merely stared at him like an idiot. You couldn't believe the way he said what he did to Joey beginning to understand why Tea didn't speak fondly of him. He did seem to be quite mean.

You shrugged, thanked Joey for trying to help you, then walked home to drop off your books before you went to the arcade to see Mokuba. He was there, waiting for you and you played games for the better part of the afternoon.

You agreed to meet him there next Friday at the same time before leaving to go home. You first week of school went by pretty quickly and nothing exciting had happened, except for the events of that afternoon.

You hung out with Yugi, Joey, Duke, and everyone else over the weekend. Joey kept asking you to duel him, but you guys never really had the chance to find the time or the place. Your next week at school went by pretty quickly also. You couldn't wait to see Mokuba again.

~~Friday~~

--Mokuba's POV--

You waited for Nuitari to show up at the arcade for a half hour when you thought, _something must have happened to her_. You began to walk to her house, for you had been there several times before she started going to school. As you got closer, you saw smoke in the sky.

_Oh, no. I hope nothing bad has happened,_ you thought, as you began to run. When you got to her street, you realized that the fire was coming from Nuitari's house. A telephone pole had fallen onto it and you guessed that the wire had snapped and the electric current had set fire to the nearby trees to her house, causing fire to break out and spread.

The side of her neighbor's house was burning, also, but firefighters were already there, putting it out. You saw Nuitari standing on the sidewalk, a mixed look of shock and sadness on her face. You ran over to her and hugged her,

"I'm so sorry Nuitari." She looked at you and you saw tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Mokuba," she said, clearly making an effort to stop crying.

"I forgot I was supposed to meet you at the arcade."

"Oh don't worry about that," you said to her.

"All your dragon drawings are gone," you said to her dolefully. She couldn't control her tears,

"I don't care about my drawings that much, Mokuba. There were other things in there…that…I'll never get back". You didn't know what else to do so you just hugged her tightly around the middle. After a few minutes standing there like that, you got an idea.

"Hey, Nuitari! Why don't you stay at my place for a while? There's plenty of room. Let me just ask my brother!"

"It's okay, Mokuba. You don't have to do that."

"No, I want to! Just hold on one second," you said as you pulled out your phone to call.

"Hi, big brother. You remember the friend I told you about from the arcade?" you asked him.

"Not really, but what do you want?" came his snappy reply.

"Well, her house just burned down so I was wondering if I could invite her to stay with us for a while…you know since we have such a big place and all."

"You want me to let a complete stranger live in my house?" he all but yelled at you.

"She's a friend…come on, please?" you begged.

"Fine, whatever," he said irritably as he hung up.

"Ok, all set, Nuitari! Roland is coming by to pick us up!" you said, turning to her.

"Really, Mokuba?" you nodded.

"Thank you, so much." Nuitari kneeled down hug you.

"It's the least I could do," you replied.

--Your POV--

You hugged Mokuba as you stared at the burning remains of your house, tears flowing freely down your face. You weren't lying to Mokuba when you said that you didn't care about the dragons. There were other things in there that couldn't be replaced; that you would never see again.

Everything was burned to a crisp. You were so dejected that you didn't even bother to think about who Roland was. When you asked Mokuba, he said that it was their limo driver.

"Limo?" you thought to yourself. A while later, a black limousine drove up to the two of you and Mokuba opened the door for you to get in. The ride to his house went in silence, but you gasped, forgetting your tears, when you saw where you were going to be living.

A large, decorative black iron gate opened up into a large courtyard with a blue-eyes white dragon fountain in the middle. A large mansion loomed behind the fountain, tall and formidable, one that you could tell was worth millions upon millions of dollars.

"Wow," you breathed.

"Yeah, my big bro makes a lot of money" Mokuba said proudly. As you got out of the limo to the large front door, tears started to come out of your eyes again. You tried to wipe them away so you could look at least somewhat presentable, but it was no use.

"Big brother, we're here!" Mokuba yelled as he opened the door. As you walked in, you noticed how nice the mansion was. Everything was spot-clean and probably cost a fortune. Past the entry hall, you saw a large and lavish living room and a marble curved staircase leading to the second floor of the mansion. You got quite a surprise when Mokuba's brother walked into the living room.

--Seto's POV--

"Big brother, we're here!" you heard Mokuba yelling. You stood up from your desk and briskly walked downstairs to meet him and his new friend. You were going to make this fast so that you could get back to work. When you walked into the living room, you heard in a very quiet voice,

"Seto?" It was that Nuitari girl from school!

"Hmph," you said, acknowledging her but not letting any of your surprise show through. So this was the friend Mokuba kept babbling about...you thought it would be a guy. As long as it she wasn't some freak, you were fine with it.

"Mokuba, she can have the guest room on the second floor, next to mine," you said to Mokuba before you turned around to walk back to your office.

"Come on, I'll take you upstairs to your room," Mokuba said to her. She turned from Mokuba and whispered,

"Thank you so much, Seto,"

You stopped walking and gave her a stiff nod before continuing to head up to your work. She had looked quite disheveled but no less attractive. You noticed that she didn't come with anything, so you called one of your housekeepers and asked her to find some sleepwear appropriate for a girl around your age. She scurried off to find something as you returned to your home office.

At about 7:30, you went downstairs again to eat dinner. Mokuba was there waiting for you, but you didn't see Nuitari. Before you could ask where she was, he told you that she didn't feel like eating.

"If that wretch doesn't want to eat the food I'm offering her, it's fine by me," you said.

"Seto, don't be like that," Mokuba said quietly to you.

"She's still crying from what happened."

"Oh, it's just an apartment," you said as you began to quickly eat your food.

"I've never seen anyone that sad before," Mokuba continued.

"You remember how I told you she was a really good artist? Well, she had a whole bunch of really awesome drawing hanging all over and she said she didn't care about them! She said there was something else she lost in there that she would never get back…"

"Ha" you scoffed.

"Everything can be replaced."

You finished the rest of your dinner than headed up the stairs to the room you had so graciously let Nuitari stay in.

"Wait, Seto! Where are you going?" Mokuba cried as he ran after you. You flung open the door to Nuitari's room and walked in.

"There's no point in moping around. What's done is done so stop your useless crying. I'll pay for anything you lost in there, if that means you'll stop your stupid tears."

--Your POV--

You were sitting on your bed when the door to your room was thrown open. Seto came in and he gave you what you hoped wasn't a pep talk because the tone he used gave no indication of one.

His offer was…somewhat kind, though. You didn't how exactly to respond so instead you help up the picture in your hand so Seto could see it.

"Remember this?" you said quietly,

"you picked it up for me last Friday at school before Joey came running at you," you continued in an even tone.

"It's a picture of my parents and my baby sister…Skye. This…this is…all I have left of my family," you said sadly.

"They died about a two months ago," you said, your voice breaking as tears welled up in your eyes once again.

"Everything else I had to remind me of them…was in that house. My parents most treasured belongings. My sister's favorite toys. Everything is…gone. I appreciate your offer, Seto, but you can't replace what those things meant to me."

--Seto's POV—

You stood there, shocked, as Nuitari told you about her family. You knew how much Mokuba meant to you and couldn't even imagine what life would be without him. You suddenly felt bad for how you had talked to her earlier, an emotion you hadn't had for anyone else.

--Your POV—

"I'm…I apologize," you heard Seto say softly. You looked up at him, surprised. You never expected to hear that from someone who seemed to be so cold. Maybe he had a heart after all.

"Thank you, Seto. You're right though. What's done is done; I just have to accept it and move on…" your voice trailed off.

"Nuitari?" you heard Mokuba say as he walked into your room.

"I didn't know you had a little sister." Mokuba said as he got onto the bed to give you a hug. "How old was she?" he asked. You gave him a quick hug back. "Skye was…just a year older than you, Mokuba," you said sadly.


	3. Chapter 3

~~The next morning~~

When you got up, you went to the bathroom to change into you clothes from yesterday and to wash your face. Thankfully, your eyes weren't red anymore so they showed no signs of you crying yourself to sleep. Mokuba came into your room around 10:00 and asked if you wanted to go downstairs to have breakfast with him and Seto. You were quite hungry due to the fact you hadn't had dinner the previous night but you asked Mokuba to give you a tour before you went down, just so you could find out how big the mansion was. "Ok! I'll give you the grand tour!" Mokuba said happily. He pulled you out of your room and turned to his left and began walking. "Seto's room is right here, and it's probably best you don't go in there," he said as he continued to move forward. "My room is right here and you can come in whenever you want," he said, pulling you at a pace that prevented you from looking at anything for more than a few seconds. You went into a small hallway where you saw to flights of stairs, one leading up and one going down. "Upstairs is Seto's office and computer stuff," Mokuba explained. "You definitely don't want to go there unless you have something important to tell him. He hates being disturbed when he works," Mokuba sighed. "He works most of the time and has been staying late at Kaiba Corp a lot recently. The two of us are spending less and less time together," he said sadly. "But don't worry about that, Nuitari," he continued quickly. "I know he loves me. He's just working on something really big right now," You didn't have time to respond before he pulled you to the flight of stairs going down.

He took you around the rest of the mansion, pointing everything out as you went. There were pictures and statues of the blue-eyes white dragon everywhere, which you found out was

Seto's favorite duel monsters card. "Do you duel, Nuitari?" Mokuba asked you curiously. "Yes, I love the game," you told him, smiling. "You should play my brother one day, then! I'm warning you though, you won't win. My big bro is the best there is!" he said proudly. You laughed and ruffled his hair before the two of you finally ended up in the large dining room and Seto was sitting there, reading the morning newspaper. His maids had cooked eggs and sausage and bacon and it was all really delicious. "So what do you want to do today?" Mokuba asked you. "Well, Mokuba, I have absolutely nothing other than what I have on and I can't keep borrowing clothes from your housekeepers. So I'm going to have to go to the mall to buy some stuff to wear."

"Can I come with you?" Mokuba said eagerly. "You can, but I don't think you want to go clothes shopping with me, do you? You'll get bored."

"Don't worry! I'll probably just go the games store or something. Just to check out what cards they have out" "Alright, then it's fine with me…Seto, are you okay with that?" you asked tentatively. You didn't know if he was a morning person or not. "Whatever," came the sharp reply. "Just be back by dinner," he said.

"Dinner?" you said incredulously. "We'll be back long before then," you reassured him. You didn't take THAT long to shop. "Alright let's go!" Mokuba said, jumping up from his chair. You smiled as you stood up and let him walk you to the door.

~~at the mall~~

You went to a bunch of stores and bought the necessaries: underwear, clothes, a dress, just in case you needed one, toiletries, and drawing materials. You came into quite a bit of money when your parents died so expenses weren't a problem. You went to find Mokuba at the card store and saw him marveling at a large display of rare duel monsters cards. "Do you play, Mokuba?" you asked him when you got there. "No, I don't have a deck but I'm starting to figure out what kinds of cards I want in it!"

"I see. So what are you thinking about?" you asked him. "I really like warrior-type monsters and…" he began pointing out cards that he wanted and you laughed and said, "maybe someday Seto will let you get one. In the meantime, how about some lunch?" The two of you headed off to the mall cafeteria and ate a quick lunch before going back to the mansion. Mokuba was being very considerate by not asking you anything about your family and you were glad. You had stopped crying and you were coping with it fairly well. After all, the hardest part was losing them. The memories were still in your head; it's just that there was nothing concrete left to remind you of them.

Back at the mansion, Mokuba pulled you up to his room so you guys could play games and have fun. You spent all of Sunday playing games with Mokuba again and you drew him some quick pictures after he begged you to. At the dinner table that night, Seto said "The limo leaves for school tomorrow at 7:45 so make sure you're not late." You were shocked; was he being nice to you? "I'd love that, Seto. But are you okay with being seen with me there?" you asked him shyly. You knew he had a rep for being the tough silent guy and you didn't know how concerned he was with his public image. He looked at you for a second before curtly replying, "Your house was on the front cover of the newspaper yesterday so most people already know you're staying here. Take it or leave it."

"Oh, alright then, I'll be ready. Thank you."

The next morning, you put on your uniform and met Seto in the courtyard. There were two limos in front, and you figured that one was there to take Mokuba to his school. You got into the large limo and you noticed that Seto had his laptop out and was already doing work. "I might have emergency meetings at my company but Roland will take you home if that happens. He arrives at 3:00 sharp so don't keep him waiting," he said as he typed away. "Ok," you said before asking, "Seto?"

"What?" he said impatiently. "Mokuba's birthday is next Sunday, right?" you asked. "Yes. What about it?" he snapped. "Well, I was wondering if you would be okay with me getting him a starter deck. He's been talking about it a lot." Seto stopped typing to look at you. "Do you even know how the game works?" he asked incredulously. "Yes, I've dueled quite a bit" you answered confidently but not contemptuously. "Hmph. Fine then. I have to see it before you give it to him, just to make sure you didn't get him a useless deck." he responded before turning back to his laptop. "Of course," you said quietly, surprised that he even agreed to the idea.

After school that week, you went to the mall to get the cards that Mokuba was looking at as well as some other places to look for some special cards that you wanted to get him. You had quite a knowledge of the game and wanted to make sure Kaiba knew that. In the limo for the week, you tried to talk to him. You asked him about Mokuba and Kaiba Corp and anything else you could think of without being annoying. He mostly answered with one word or two or maybe even the occasional three, but it did seem liked her cared for his brother and company a lot.

That weekend, Seto worked the entire time so you didn't even see him around the house. Instead, you went to the arcade with Mokuba and played with him at home. Boy he had a lot of energy! He asked you to start calling him Mokie; the nickname Seto had given him when they were in the orphanage. "Why doesn't he call you that now?" you asked politely. Mokuba's eyes drooped and you felt your heart twinge. "Ever since we were adopted, my big brother got really, really serious and he stopped calling me that. I know that he's really successful right now and all, and I'm happy for him…but at least he used to smile once in a while back then." You hugged him tightly, trying to imagine Seto Kaiba smiling…and couldn't. The only thing remotely close to a smile you had seen was his trademark smirk. So you talked to Mokuba about his childhood and how Seto took over Kaiba Corp and he was more than happy to brag about his big bro. Seto was the first to come up with holographic technology to display duel monsters, and he was also the first to create a virtual reality game involving…duel monsters, of course. Mokuba also said that he's been working on a 'duel disk' so that duels could take place anywhere without the big holographic stadiums of the past. "That's what he's been working on for the couple months," Mokuba told you sadly. "And something else, too, but I'm not so sure about that one."

The next week, you could see that Seto was practically asleep in the limo on the way to school. He woke up early to work and he also left school early everyday that week to go into his office before getting home well after 10:00. You began to worry about him, but you decided not to say anything because you knew that he would probably be angrier than ever.

On Friday night, around 12:30, he called the mansion from his office. You were busy drawing in your room and Mokuba was already sleeping because he had a play date with his friend tomorrow to celebrate his birthday. Nobody was answering the phone and you noticed that all the lights were out when you walked down the marble stairs. You walked over to the phone and picked it up hesitantly. "Hello?" you asked.

"Nuitari what the hell are you doing answering my phone?" came his reply. "Seto?" you said, dumbfounded. "Yes you fool. Where is Roland?" he demanded. "He's asleep…along with everyone else in here. Did you need something?" You heard him growl on the other end. "I told that idiot that I would need him later! Yes, I do need something. Go to my office on the third floor and get my blueprints from my desk. I trust even someone like you can find it. And don't touch anything else!" he yelled as he hung up. You were absolutely shocked. Mokuba had told you that his brother got grumpy when he was working late, but you never expected something like that. You walked up to the third floor and opened the door to his office slowly because you didn't know what to expect, considering you had never been in there before. It was too dark for you to really see anything and you were too scared to grope around for the light switch. There was a little moonlight coming in from the window so you were just barely able to see the blueprints that he wanted. You stared at them until you figured out that it was a design for a duel disk! So Mokuba was right, Seto had been working on this thing for a long time. You wanted to look at it more, but you decided that it would be best to get them to Seto as soon as possible. You got a few more things and walked over to his company, which was only a few blocks away.

The lobby was unlocked but no one was there. You got into the elevator and wondered which of the 70 floors to go to until you saw a button labeled SK, which you assumed to be Seto Kaiba. You didn't see any desks or small offices leading you to believe that Seto had this entire floor to himself. You walked through what seemed liked a waiting room before finding Seto in a large and luxurious office. He had raw materials and a bunch of tools all over his desk and he was looking more angry than usual. His anger did seem to give him a rather…appealing quality, though.

"About time!" he said as he noticed you walk in. You decided it would be best not to say anything so you just handed him his blueprints. He snatched them from you and hurriedly laid them out and began to piece some parts together. "Would you mind if I helped you?" you asked quietly, afraid that he might yell at you again. Instead, he glared at you and said, "Do you even know what any of this stuff is?" You let out a small sigh and sat down in the chair across from his desk. "I'm no stranger when it comes to technology," you replied. "Ha. Prove it" he sneered. He turned his blueprints around so that they were facing you and he asked you numerous questions about the pieces and holographic technology. You sighed but answered all his questions without hesitation. He finally humphed his approval before pushing some materials at you, "Work on this part then, and don't screw up."

The two of you began working in silence and you couldn't resist asking, "Seto…have you eaten lately?" "DO YOU THINK I'VE HAD TIME TO EAT??! WHAT KIND OF A STUPID QUESTION IS THAT?" he yelled at you. You took a sharp breath, as you weren't prepared for such an angry response. You couldn't move for a moment as he continued to work. You felt as if you had just been slapped in the face; what was wrong with showing a little concern? You finally pulled a container from your bag, putting it next to him and opening it, letting the smell of warm food reach up to his nostrils, all without saying a word. Now it was your turn to work while he stared at you. Well, it was more like a glare but it was better than him yelling at you.

You looked down while you worked, but saw him slowly begin to eat out of the corner of your eye. You could feel him staring at you while he continued to eat and you were very careful not to look back at him. Partly because you were scared that he was still glaring at you, but mostly because you were blushing heavily. You were definitely starting to like him, whether he was mean and angry or not. It was hard to admit that to yourself but you knew it was true. Yes, he was cold to everybody, but he had to be. If he was sweet and sincere to everyone he knew, he wouldn't be a successful businessman. And deep down, he really was a kindhearted person. He always had good intentions, even though it might not seem like it. You sighed realizing that, then again, you might be completely wrong. What if you were falling for an ice-cold jerk? The thought scared you, but somehow you felt the layers of his icy heart were melting…

--Seto's POV--

You froze as Nuitari took out the food she had brought for you. You anger had never dissipated this quickly before. She didn't yell back at you…and she didn't rub it in your face…in fact, she didn't really react that strongly at all. It was obvious that your words had hurt her but she took it quietly…you had never gotten that response before. She kept her head down as she focused on helping you with your duel disk, but you thought you saw a hint of redness in her cheeks but dismissed the thought quickly. You ate slowly, continuing to stare at her. The anger had left your heart and was instead replaced by curiosity. Who was this girl? She wasn't scared of you, like most people were; yet she didn't exactly stand up to you, either. Either way, you had to admit she was very good with technology. She was working on your invention better than your tech team could if they all worked together! Her hands were swift and steady and all her actions were precise. And she looked quite attractive, too…

What were you thinking? You didn't like her! Definitely not! You shook your head slightly as you finished eating. You couldn't afford to deal with pointless emotions. Still…you knew that the thought would always be at the back of your mind.

* * *

**Ooh...feelings are starting to emerge. Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

--Your POV--

When you heard Seto stop eating, you tried to ask him another question. "So…why have you been working so late this week? What's the rush?"

"I'd like to finish this so I won't be as stressed for Mokuba's birthday. He hates it when I am." he stated simply. You were stunned; all the anger had disappeared from his voice. So he had been doing all of this just to make Mokuba happy? That proved your earlier thought that he really did have a kind nature. He just had strange ways of showing it, that's all.

The two of you continued to work until you noticed it was 4:00 AM. "You should rest, Seto," you said, "You still have a lot to do and Mokuba won't be happy if you're not exactly awake for his birthday." For once Seto didn't snap back at you. He stood up to walk to the luxurious couch that was in his office. Before he got there, you pulled a small, thin blanket out of your tote bag and reached out to give it to him.

"You'd better not give me the 'keep each other warm' speech because that is definitely not going to happen" he said, glaring at you once again. Your eyes widened. "No, the thought didn't even cross my mind. It's all yours," you said, placing it in his hands. The thought did sound nice, though… He looked at you, a question framed on his lips but you spoke before he could ask anything. "I'll keep working on your disk; I'm still wide awake." He showed no emotion on his face as he lay down. You worked through the rest of the night, looking back at Seto periodically as he was snoring lightly on the couch. He looked so peaceful…

--Seto's POV--

You gratefully lay down on your couch and covered yourself with the blanket Nuitari had brought. Within moments, you fell asleep and you dreamed about duel monsters, making your brother happy, and last but not least, Nuitari herself. She was so pretty…and so nice…you couldn't help but wonder what happened to her family, though. How did they die?

You woke up around 11:30 on Saturday morning and Nuitari was in the same position as she was last night. The only difference was that your duel disk was nearly finished! "You did all this?" you asked her, standing up and walking over to your desk. You never got a response. Nuitari's eyes were focused downward, where her hands were deftly working on another piece of your disk. Her eyes were barely open and all her attention was directed at her hands. You reached down to take the pieces from her and she finally looked up. "Wha…Seto?" she said in a groggy voice. You handed her the blanket and pointed at the couch. "Go." you said. She nodded and slowly made her way over to the couch to rest. You couldn't believe how much she had done! You picked up where she left off and by 5:00, you were putting on the finishing touches. That was about the same time Nuitari woke up, also and she followed you as you took your duel disk to the testing room. You placed your Blue-Eyes Dragon card on the duel disk and you felt a surge of success as you heard your dragon roar and appear before you. "That's amazing, Seto" Nuitari breathed next to you. You had to agree; but then again, it _was_ your invention. You called Roland and had him come pick the two of you up to take you home. You were still angry with him for not being awake last night, but you probably wouldn't have finished if Nuitari hadn't come.

--Your POV--

When you got in the limo, you were still exhausted. She had pulled quite a large number of all-nights, but nothing compared to this. You were really glad that you were able to help Seto, though. It was the least you could have done for him, with him letting you stay in his house and all. You suddenly remembered that you had Mokuba's present with you and pulled it out to show Seto. "Here…you said you wanted to look at it first," you said, handing the deck to him. He inspected it slowly in silence. "I didn't exactly get him an amazing deck, but I figured that once he got a feel for it he could improve it and add his own cards," you explained. He ignored you as he continued to look through all the cards. "Looks good," he finally said as you let out a breath. You hadn't realized you were holding it, but Seto's approval meant a lot to you. "By the way," he continued. You looked at him, hoping that you might get a thank you for helping him out. "I've decided to let you stay at my home for as long as you like. It seems like you make Mokuba happy, and you'll be able to keep him occupied while I'm busy." "Really?…thank you, Seto." Well, that wasn't exactly a 'thank you' but you still thought you heard at least a _little_ gratitude in his voice. But he was letting you stay at his mansion; and he was right, you did really enjoy yourself around his little brother. Plus, it would give you more time to figure out what feelings you really had for him.

~~Sunday, Mokuba's birthday~~

You awoke to Mokuba jumping on your bed. "Wake up, Nuitari! It's my birthday! I'm 13!! YAHOO!!" he continued to yell as you sat up, rubbing your eyes. "Go get Seto while I change, Mokie," you said sleepily as you ruffled his hair. He ran off and you met him and his brother down at their large dining table. Mokuba had requested a large brunch with all of his favorite foods so the table was completely filled! As you were eating, you noticed that Seto did seem a lot more relaxed after a good nights' rest. And he even looked faintly…happy that it was Mokuba's birthday. You figured that this was the one day of the year that he forced himself not to do any work. "So when do I get my presents?" Mokuba asked excitedly. Seto pulled a rather big box out from under the table. He had gotten Mokuba the latest video game console along with a permanent free-play pass to the arcade he always went to. You handed him a much smaller rectangular box and he grabbed it eagerly. When he opened it, you loved the surprised look on his face. "A deck? My very own duel monsters deck?" he squealed. He began thumbing through all the cards and he looked at you with his big puppy-dog eyes. "Thank you Nuitari!! So…you wanna duel?"

You laughed and shook your head at his eagerness. "I don't think that's a good idea, Mokuba. I know every single one of your cards and you don't know any of mine!" His face dropped for a split second before asking, "then…will you teach me strategies and stuff?" The question caught you off guard. You?…teach…him? "I can't do that, Mokuba," you said honestly to him. "What? Why not?" he said sadly. "Mokuba…it's not that I don't _want_ to, because believe me, I do. But…your brother…he's the world's best. I'm sure that _he_ would want to be the one to teach you how to play. Don't you this so?" Mokuba looked downcast. "But…he never spends any time with me." You nibbled at your lower lip, knowing that Seto was probably hurt by the remark; he probably wasn't intentionally spending all his time at work…he just had a lot of stuff going on. "Tell you what, Mokuba. Why don't you duel with your friends? You can start figuring out your own strategies with them…then maybe Seto will help you when he has the time…right, Seto?" you looked at him pleadingly, hating to see Mokuba so down. Mokuba pleaded with him right alongside you and the two of you let out sighs of relief when Seto nodded.

"Ok then!" Mokuba said, suddenly brightening up before exclaiming, "I know! If we can't duel, then maybe you and my big brother can duel!" Did you hear him correctly? Duel…Seto? You looked at him and he smirked, "I never back down from a challenge, you know." You raised one of your eyebrows and followed him to his custom dueling arena in the mansion. Mokuba was practically jumping up and down as you and Seto took your places on the opposite ends. The duel commenced and you matched him move for move, card for card throughout the entire duel. In the end, he wiped you out with his signature monster's White Lightning attack. You got to see a completely different side of him when he dueled. He was no doubt very competitive, but there was a brightness in his eyes that you'd never seen before. You supposed that duel monsters was one of the few, if not the only, thing that gave him joy. He smirked as your life points dropped to zero and said, "I win. No surprise there"

"That was SO AWESOME!" you heard Mokuba yell as he ran over to the arena. "Nuitari, you're really good. It's just that my big bro is better," he said as he looked up adoringly to Seto. You smiled at him; he was so cute and so happy, you hoped that he wouldn't turn into his older half some day. "I'm going to go get the pool stuff ready! Seto, you promised you would go swimming with me! You too, Nuitari!" he shouted as he ran off.

You reached put away your deck but your hand stopped short when you heard "Hold it right there." You stared across the arena and Seto was eyeing you suspiciously. "What is that face down card that you still have on the field?" You froze and replied, "Nothing. I wouldn't have been able to use it," "You didn't answer my question. _What is it_?" he demanded, getting angry. You looked down as you flipped the card over. "Reflection of Darkness?" Seto said, stunned. "Y-y…you…would have…won," he continued slowly. "Wh-why didn't you play it?" he asked you, shocked from the fact that he pretty much lost the duel. "It's Mokuba's birthday, Seto. I wanted to make sure that he saw his big brother win. You know how much he looks up to you." You also decided to tell him the real reason why you didn't play your trap card. "I…I wouldn't have played it…even if it wasn't his birthday" you began to say quietly as you picked up your deck. He looked questioningly at you as you kept going, "I…I know…how much…your…pride and reputation mean to you…and…I…I wouldn't do anything to take that away from you, Seto," you said, unable to control the shakiness of your voice. He didn't say anything to you as you took your deck and went off to meet Mokuba at the pool. It was a good thing, too, considering that your face was completely flushed.

--Seto's POV--

You were standing speechless as you saw Nuitari walk off. Her words kept running through your mind: "_I know how much your pride and reputation mean to you and I wouldn't do anything to take that away from you_". But…she would have won! Why would she deny herself the chance to defeat the world's greatest duelist? Your head swam with questions as you walked slowly to your room to change into your swimsuit. Why was she being so nice to you? You were never nice to her…

You finally got down to the pool deck and saw her and Mokuba laughing as they were splashing each other with water. You allowed yourself a small smile; it was so nice to see Mokuba happy and having fun. "Come on, Seto! Take off your shirt! Unless you want to go swimming in it!" Mokuba yelled, beckoning you to get in.

--Your POV--

You were splashing Mokuba with as much force as you could when you saw Seto walk into the pool area. You stood there with your mouth open in a small "O" as he began to take his shirt off. It seemed like the action was going in slow motion for you. You saw his stomach first and his perfect abs. As he kept going, he revealed a beautifully sculpted chest. When his shirt was completely off, you marveled at the body of a god. He looked so damn good…

You quickly closed your mouth and averted your gaze before he looked at you. The last thing you wanted was for him to see you drooling at him. As he walked into the pool, Mokuba attacked him with a tidal wave. He got completely soaked from that but he retaliated with an even bigger splash. It was so fun to watch the two brothers play around. "Hey Nuitari!" Mokuba called to you, laughing as he was getting drenched, "Can you do your dive again? You know, the one you showed me earlier?" he asked. You laughed quietly, "I told you that that was a one-time deal, Mokie!"

"Aww…pretty please?" he begged. You sighed as you gave in, "Alright, but this is the last time," you said as you got out of the pool to get to the diving board.

--Seto's POV--

You attacked Mokuba with torrents of water when he asked Nuitari to dive. You loved the sound of her laugh. It was so soft and charming…wait what were you thinking? You shook your head to clear her from your mind but you found it ineffective when you saw her walk out of the pool. As she walked up the stairs water was cascading off of her, revealing a flawlessly toned body. She had a nice tan and her swimsuit fit her perfectly...showing off just enough of her, but not too much more. You continued to stare as she walked over to the diving board. "Seto…what's that look you're giving her?" Mokuba asked you, nudging you in the side. You turned your focus on him as your face turned a barely visible shade of red. "What look?" Mokuba turned to look back at Nuitari, "the same look she gave you when you took your shirt off." he responded.

You didn't have time to think about what he said to you because Nuitari was just beginning her dive. She did a beautiful double back flip before entering the water gracefully. She didn't come up to get a breath until she reached Mokuba, tickling his stomach. "Hahahaha! Stop it!" he giggled. Nuitari also laughed as she came up for air. "That was awesome Nuitari!" Mokuba said, still giggling. "So…now that Seto's here, we can play…Marco Polo!" he said excitedly as he grabbed the bandana he had brought out to the pool. "I'll go first," he said as Nuitari tied it around his eyes.

The three of you went a few rounds until Mokuba tagged you, so it was your turn to be blindfolded. You refrained from saying Marco too many times because you felt foolish doing it. Instead, you relied on your ears as you heard the two of them moving around. You heard a small splash in front of you and you lunged forward to tag whoever it was. Your right hand grabbed someone's thigh and your left hand felt bare skin. Judging from the width of the thigh, you knew you had gotten Nuitari, and her small gasp confirmed it. As her trembling fingers took off the bandana-blindfold, you found yourself enjoying the feel of her leg and stomach. You hand instinctively traveled up her thigh a little bit before you realized what you were doing and let her go, both of your faces blushing bright red. You turned around to look at Mokuba and said, "Alright, that's enough. Time to go," you said in an attempt to get out of the pool before your face turned any redder. "Aww…one more, one more!" he pleaded. You gave him a small frown but you agreed; after all, it was his birthday. You turned back to Nuitari as she handed you the blindfold to tie onto her head. You admired the bare skin of her back as you quickly tied it on for her.

--Your POV--

Your face was still red as Seto put on the blindfold. You had to admit, though, his hands did feel nice on you. You stumbled around blindly, calling 'Marco' every so often. You knew you were close to the right edge of the pool and you heard both of their voices respond 'Polo' right in front of you as they tried to swim away. You quickly propelled yourself towards the right, knowing that if one of them went that way, you would catch them by sandwiching them to the side of the pool. You were right; your hand hit something hard and pushed it against the wall. Your momentum carried you forward and you felt yourself slam into someone. You blushed an even brighter red as you enjoyed the feel of Seto's hard chest. Your surge had pushed your body against his and you felt your heart rate increase madly as your body temperatures rose slightly. "Oh…" you said embarrassingly as Seto took the blindfold off. He had turned a rather deep shade of red, as well. You quickly swam away from him as you heard Mokuba laugh and say, "Ok, well I guess we're done. That was so much fun, though!" You went over to splash him a little more, hoping that it would keep your mind off of Seto.

It definitely didn't. Seto got out of the pool and you allowed yourself a small gasp when you saw the water dripping off of his body. He walked into the pool house where the shower was as you got out and toweled yourself dry. "Hey, Nuitari…can I ask you a question?" Mokuba said sheepishly. "Anything, Mokie."

"Do you…like my brother?" he said tentatively. Your insides froze as your eyes widened. He had just asked you the one question you didn't want to answer. He waited patiently while you thawed out. You took a deep breath, understanding that he was old enough to understand these things. "Yes, Mokuba. I do," you said quietly. "So…why aren't you doing anything about it?" he asked curiously. You had asked yourself the same thing plenty of times, but you always wound up with the same answer. "I know he doesn't feel the same way about me, Mokuba. If he does find out, I'm afraid he'll just see as another one of those schoolgirls that are fawning over him. So you have to promise me that you won't say anything." You kneeled down, grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Please Mokuba. This is the only thing I'll ask of you. Swear that you won't tell him."

"I-I w-won't," he said, shying away from your stare.

--Seto's POV--

You walked out of the pool house freshly dressed when you saw Nuitari gripping your brother's shoulders and looking him intently in the eye. "What's going on here?" you demanded as she let go of him. "Nothing, Seto," Mokuba reassured you. "Nuitari, you can use the shower now. I don't mind waiting," he said to her. She nodded thanks to him and walked past you, careful not to look at you. You began to walk back into the mansion until Mokuba stopped you. "Seto? Do you like her?" Your eyes narrowed as you stopped and turned around. You didn't quite know how to answer him since you weren't able to answer the questions yourself. "Come on, Seto. I've seen the way you look at her. And you do seem to treat her better than other people you meet. You have to admit you have feelings for her." You felt one of your narrowed eyes twitch as you realized that Mokuba was growing up. He was right, though. You found yourself being nicer to her than most other people, even though that still wasn't very nice at all. Still…she had a certain quality to her that you were warming up to. You thought about the first day of school when you were admiring her facial features. You thought about her aqua eyes and that hint of sadness in them. About all the crap you dealt her that she put up with without a word. How nice she was to your little brother…and you. And how beautiful she was…you had never had these thoughts about anyone else and quite frankly, you didn't know what to do with them. "I don't know, Mokuba," you said to him honestly. "How can you not know? You like her or you don't!" he insisted. "It's more complicated than that," you said as you turned your back to him and walked into your house. You had no time for a relationship. And you certainly didn't have the time to deal with your emotions. Besides, you were used to girls liking you, like all those crazy girls from school. Then again, Nuitari seemed different…you'd have to really think about it. Some other time, though, when you weren't busy working…which would probably be never.

* * *

**Huzzah! I've had these scenes in my mind for months now and I finally wrote them down! I hope I described it well enough...Constructive criticism appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

--Your POV--

You spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Mokuba. He was so excited about the game that Seto had gotten him. You went out to a really upscale restaurant for his birthday dinner and boy, was it good! In the limo on the way back, Seto said something to you without you talking to him first. "Kaiba Corp's 25th anniversary is coming up and we're celebrating with the launch of my new duel disk. There's going to be a rather large…reception at my company on Tuesday night. Mokuba and I have to be there, so you might as well join us. Dress appropriately," he huffed as the limo reached the house. "Ok. Thanks for the invitation," you said. That was an invitation, right?

Monday and Tuesday morning went by pretty fast at school for you. Late Tuesday afternoon, you were getting ready for the reception. It was a good thing you bought that dress when you went to the mall a while ago. Mokuba knocked and came into your room and the first thing you heard was his gasp. "Nuitari! You look so pretty!" he exclaimed. You blushed and told him he looked cute in his small tux. He complained that he wanted to look serious, _not_ cute. You laughed while telling him, "Ok, Mokie. You look really serious." He stuck his tongue out at you in response. "Ok, Nuitari. I'll take your purse down for you and me and Seto will meet you at the bottom of the marble staircase," he said as he grabbed your purse. You snatched the back of his jacket before he could run out. "Mokuba, I am NOT going down that staircase if your brother is going to be standing there. Can't I go down the other stairs?" you begged. "No," came his quick reply. "Just go down the big staircase. Trust me, Seto wants to see you," he said, tugging out of your grasp and running down. "But Mokuba!" you protested.

--Seto's POV--

You were at the bottom of the stairs, looking at your watch. You were going to leave in promptly 5 minutes, whether or not Nuitari was ready to go. You saw Mokuba racing down the staircase with a rather large grin on his face. You also heard Nuitari hiss "But Mokuba!" on the upper level. What was she doing? Mokuba slowed down to stand next to you and said, "Watch the top of the stairs, Seto. Nuitari looks amazing. Trust me, it's worth it." You stared at him in confusion, but you did as he said. Nuitari slowly walked out of the hallway and into your view. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched her walk to the staircase. She had on a long, flowing black dress that fit her body snugly, with one strap that went diagonally across her right shoulder. The dress cinched at the middle, showing off her small waistline. Mokuba had said Nuitari looked amazing, but that was definitely an understatement. She was breathtakingly beautiful in that dress. She stopped at the top of the stairs and her face turned tomato red as she slowly took her first few steps down, and you suddenly saw why. The steps revealed an opening on the left side of her dress, which showed off her long leg from the middle of the thigh and down. You couldn't decide whether or not she looked better in her swimsuit or this ensemble. She finally made it all the way down the stairs, blushing brighter than you had ever seen her do. "You…look………nice tonight," you finally coughed out. Her blush deepened, if that was even possible, and she replied, "thank you…Seto. You…look quite handsome yourself." Now your face turned red as Mokuba dragged the two of you outside to the limo. "Let's go!" he giggled.

When you got out of the limo at Kaiba Corp, you and Mokuba were immediately flooded by cameras. You noticed that Nuitari had gotten out of the other side and quietly slipped into the building, unnoticed. You were quite grateful for that, since you didn't want the press to be publishing anything about the two of you being together. Once the camera flashes died down, you were finally able to go into your company. "Lots of hands to shake, and a lot of pointless small talk," you muttered as you walked in.

You got everyone's attention and began the introduction of your new invention, the duel disk. After all the pictures and applause, the reception began. You talked to hundreds of people and you got bored quite quickly. You had never liked these things, but it was necessary to improve your company's public image. Around 9:00, your secretary came up to you and dragged you into a small office, her hands roaming your chest. You tried to push her away gently, but she wouldn't budge. So, you practically threw her off of you, with Nuitari's face flashing in your mind. You straightened your tie as you stomped out of the room. You knew that a bunch of girls liked you, but this was taking it too far. You headed back into the main lobby but stopped when you heard a muffled scream from a nearby office. Your heart thumped faster as you recognized that voice. Rushing over to where you heard the sound, you kicked open the door.

A man had slammed Nuitari into the wall and was walking his right hand up and down her exposed thigh. His other hand had clamped her mouth shut and he began kissing her all over. You felt a sudden rage flare up in your heart at this sight. That thigh was the same one you had felt in the pool on Sunday and you somehow felt an ownership over that right. Your hands balled into fists and there was a satisfying _thump_ as your fist connected with his head, rendering him unconscious. Nuitari crumbled to the floor, her breaths coming in short gasps. You reached your hand down to help her get up and she thanked you quietly, her eyes still wide with fear. You almost wanted to hold her…but she walked away before you could make up your mind. You could still feel the jealousy that had raged up within you and you glared with hatred at the crumpled figure on the ground. Who was this man, anyway? He had to be a wealthy businessman if he was here at your company reception, but you had never seen him before…

You and Nuitari sat in silence during the limo ride back. Mokuba sensed that something had gone wrong so he decided not to ask; Nuitari still looked really shaken up. When you returned to the mansion, she went straight up to her room. Mokuba looked at you questioningly, but you shook your head. He sighed and went to his own room to sleep while you went to yours to do a little work before school tomorrow. You sat at your desk until about 1:00 and you stood up to clean up and go to bed. Suddenly, you heard a scream coming from the room next to you. Your heart panicked as you raced into Nuitari's room. Her blanket was thrown to the side and her body was covered in sweat from the nightmare she was having. She was thrashing about from something that was obviously causing her pain. You got on the bed and kept her legs down between your own and pinned her arms down as well. She began writhing under you as she let out another ear-piercing shriek. Mokuba came running in just then, as scared as you were. You turned to him and said, "Go back to bed, Mokuba. I'll handle this." Thankfully, he did as he was told without arguing as you turned your attention back to the figure beneath you. You shook her a few times, yelling "Wake up!" but to no avail.

You were at a loss of what to do next, but you did know that all you wanted was comfort her. Her body went limp and she whispered, "Help me…Seto." Your heart wrenched at her cry of help and you tried once again to shake her awake; this time it worked. She sat up with a start as her eyes opened. "S-S-Seto?" she barely choked out through her tears. Instinct took over as you wrapped your arms around her waist. She flung her arms around you and cried over your shoulder. You didn't know what to say, so you just sat there with her in your arms as you listened to her weeping. You couldn't bear the sound of her cries but you didn't know what to do; you just tilted your head so that hers was nestled comfortably in the crook of your neck. When she quieted down, you reluctantly let her go. "Wait…" she mumbled to you. "Seto…I know this is really childish of me…but…could…could you…stay…with me?" She looked at you with those beautiful aqua eyes of hers and you found you couldn't resist. You nodded as the two of you laid down. You snaked your arms around her waist again and felt her snuggle against your iron chest. "What…happened?" you asked her gruffly. You felt her body tense for a moment before she began.

"Remember…when I told you my family died? Well…I didn't tell you how. My mother…she became ill about two years ago, a disease that's usually fatal within a few months. She remained relatively healthy for half a year so my father and sister and I began to worry a little less. Then, a few months ago, the illness returned full force and she…she died within a few days at the hospital. We…we knew it would happen soon, but it was still a lot for us to take in. For my father, especially, since he loved her so much. So…three days later…my father…he…he took his own life; he couldn't bear to live without her. Then it was just me and my sister, Skye. I promised her that I would protect her and keep her safe. But…people had other plans for us. Some of my father's best friends at his company blamed the death of their best worker on my mother. They sent someone after her two most prized possessions: the two of us. He broke into our house one night and he tied me up. Then…he…he…" she couldn't continue as she cried into your chest.

You hugged her tighter and gently prompted her to continue. "He…he murdered her. Right in front of my eyes…he ran her through with a knife. But…but that…that wasn't enough. He began chopping away at her…dangling parts of her in front of me. When he was done…he came after me. And he told me that…before he wanted to kill me…he wanted…to have a little…fun. He…he raped me…then he pulled out his knife again. Luckily, the neighbors heard my screams and the police arrived before he could point his blade at me. He somehow escaped a lifelong sentence in jail, but I had already left to come here when he came looking for me. But…he found me. That man you saved me from earlier tonight?…that was him." She was shaking uncontrollably now and you held her tightly, wanting nothing more than to protect her. "I'm so sorry," you whispered. You now understood why she always had that sadness in her eyes, but you couldn't believe how well she had taken all of those events. It had only been two months and she was keeping herself held together on the outside. You felt bad for everything you'd said to her. All those mean comments…you wished you could take them back. Everything that had happened to her; you couldn't imagine what it was like to have those images plastered in you mind.

She eventually drifted off to sleep and you began caressing her cheek; she looked so beautiful in the moonlight. You found that you couldn't keep your eyes or arms off of her and you thought to yourself, _am I beginning to care about her?_

* * *

**Ok, this was my second favorite scene to write. My favorite is at the very end! Please RxR!**


	6. Chapter 6

--Your POV--

You fell asleep in Seto's arms and all the visions from your nightmare went away. Instead, you dreamed about _him_. He had finally showed you some compassion tonight and you were hoping that you were finally getting through to him. You woke up in his strong arms with your head and hand resting on his chest; this was the first time in a while that you finally felt...safe. You were definitely falling for him…falling hard and fast. You didn't move as you enjoyed the warmth he was giving off; you knew that any small movement would wake him up and your living dream would be over. You felt him begin to stir and you quickly shut your eyes, feigning sleep. You heard him stifle a yawn as he tightened his hold on you. He let go after a moment and turned to lie on his back. Your head slipped off of him but your hand stayed on his chest. You decided to open your eyes as you stretched your body out. Looking up at Seto, you were hoping to see some warmth in his eyes. Boy, were you in for a surprise. His eyes were glaring at you with a coldness never before directed at you. You quickly removed your hand and mumbled a quick apology before he got up and went to his room to get ready, without saying a word to you. You didn't know how to react; you were shocked into silence.

You got ready as well and met him in the limo waiting to take the two of you to school. "Thank you…for staying with me last night," you said quietly to him. He didn't respond as he continued to work on his laptop. You turned your head as if to look out the window, but your eyes were blinking furiously to prevent tears from spilling over. What happened between last night and this morning? He was so kind to you before and you were sure that he was acting genuinely. Your heart began to ache as you realized that he really didn't return your feelings.

You were careful not to look at him for the rest of the school day, in fear that you might burst into tears if you did. You could sense him glowering at you every so often and you couldn't fathom why. Even Mokuba asked you why Seto was so upset. The rest of the week went like this and so did most of the next. You were shocked and confused and hurt. Why was he being like this?

~~Wednesday, at school~~

You walked into math class behind Seto and you heard him stop and snarl in front of you. You stood next to him to see what he was angry at, now. Joey Wheeler was sitting casually in Seto's seat, his legs propped up on the desk. "Get out of my chair you mutt," Seto growled, walking up to him. "Make me, rich boy!" Joey taunted back, crossing his arms. "Don't tempt me," Seto said. "Whatcha gonna do Kaiba? Attack me? Ooh…I'm shaking!" Joey laughed. "Alright, listen here Kaiba-boy, I'll get out of your seat if you agree to duel me. I've been gunning for you for quite some time now and I think it's finally time I take you down."

"HA! The day you beat me at duel monsters is the day when pigs fly, Wheeler. I can beat the pants off of your with my eyes closed!" "Oh ho, someone's cockier than usual today! Just wait, rich boy. You're gonna see some flyin' bacon when I wipe that smirk off your face. After school outside the abandoned warehouse. See ya there…heh heh heh." Joey said as he stood up to get to his own desk. Seto humphed and turned to you. "I'll tell Roland to pick us up a little later. It should only take a few minutes to beat that third-rate duelist."

"I'll come and watch, then," you said as the two of you sat down.

~~After school~~

You had your last period free so you got the warehouse early. You crossed your arms and leaned against the wall, hiding half of yourself in the shadow. Seto showed up a few minutes after school ended and you sighed as you saw the wind blow through his hair and clothes. "That punk challenges _me_ to a duel and has the nerve to show up late?!" he muttered to himself, having not seen you. Joey and Yugi showed up a while later, strolling in like they had all the time in the world. You thought Yugi was really nice and friendly and all, but Joey was a different story. Sure, he was sweet and funny, but you didn't like the way he did things. He seemed cocky… definitely not arrogant like Seto, but cocky nonetheless. "What? No fan club to cheer you on?" Seto sneered, referring to all of Joey's other friends who always supported him during his duels. "Nope, they all had stuff to do. Just mah man Yugi here," he said proudly. "And Nuitari's here, also!" Joey said excitedly as he waved to you. You nodded slightly to him in acknowledgement, refusing to step out from the comfort of the shadows. You were still trying to figure out what had happened between you and Seto, so you didn't really want to get too close to him, especially since he got extremely competitive when it came to dueling.

"Hey! I just got a great idea!" Joey shouted. "Well that's a first." Seto said. Joey ignored him as he went on, "I know Yugi here hasn't dueled in a while, and I've been itching' to see Nuitari duel…and since we happen to have four, count 'em: FOUR, people here, _we could do a double duel!!!_" he screamed. "Heh." Seto smirked. "I could beat the two of you on my own." You sighed; he sure was arrogant. "Well, I would like to see how Nuitari duels. Do you want to join us? You'd have to duel with Kaiba, though. Me and Joey are always a team." Yugi asked you kindly. You did want to duel, since it had been a while. "Seto?" you said, just loudly enough for him to hear. He sensed what you were asking him. "Fine. Just don't get in my way," he snapped reluctantly. You uncrossed your arms as you stepped away from the wall, your heart pounding in anticipation of a duel. And you were partnered with Seto! You couldn't help but feel yourself blush at the idea, but somehow you felt that he wasn't one for the 'teamwork' kinda thing.

The four of you got into position and Seto threw you one of his duel disks from his briefcase. Ever since the anniversary reception at Kaiba Corp, the disks were selling like mad; it seemed like everybody had one! The duel began and you and Seto's decks actually worked quite well with each other. Yours was stacked with dragons and some other powerful creatures and he relied on his trusted signature Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Although Seto wouldn't admit it, the two of you did pull off some _really_ nice combo moves together. Seto taunted Yugi and Joey the entire time, saying that they were fools to challenge _him_…he never mentioned you, though. That was saddening, especially considering that the two of you were dueling together against them.

In the end, you and Seto won…of course. You knew that he could have beaten Yugi and Joey individually, and you could beat him, so it was natural that the two of you should win. "Game," Seto smirked as the holographic monsters all disappeared. "Great duel! Nuitari, you really _are_ good!" Yugi commented, being the good sport that he always was. Joey, on the other had, wasn't as cheerful. "I can't believe I lost to rich boy! Arrggh!" he suddenly turned to face you, angry for having lost. "And you, Nuitari! I can't believe you actually agreed to duel with this bozo!" he yelled. You were slightly taken aback, but you had learned to accept this kind of eruption from Joey when he didn't get his way. "Calm down, Joey! You were the one who invited her to duel!" Yugi tried to reason wit him. "You know, Nuitari, somethin's been eating away at me. Why do you keep hangin' out with this pompous jerk? What would your parents and sister say to you? What do you think they would say, huh?" he sneered, letting all his anger out. "Joey! That's taking it a bit too far, don't you think?" Yugi said, shocked. He was right; that pushed you to the very edge of your limits. You were tired of trying to compensate to everyone's needs. Seto was so grouchy and angry all the time, and living with him didn't exactly scream 'sunshine and a happy day' to you. Then with Joey, you constantly had to put up with his childish ways and you were finally getting sick of it. You always made a point to keep your rage in check, making sure not to upset the people around you, but you had had enough.

"_What_ _did you just say to me, Wheeler_?" you said menacingly, enunciating every single syllable and making sure each one dripped with acid venom. "Whoa," Yugi breathed, never expecting to see that side of you. Seto reached a hand out to your lower back, "It's alright," he said firmly to you. "Wheeler's not worth it." You were too angry to appreciate that rare act of kindness from him…so you angrily swept his hand away and turned on him. "What's it matter to you? It's not like you care!" You said in an angry manner that would have rivaled his. His eyes flashed with a fury you had never seen before. He raised his other hand up and you felt a searing pain across your left check as he backhanded you. You fell to the ground from the brutal force of his blow and you continued to lie there for a few seconds. Yugi and Joey stood there, shocked, silent, and unmoving. A stinging pain coursed through your left cheek but it was nothing compared to the emotional pain you felt from that blow.

You looked up at Seto, his eyes still dark with anger, and for the very first time…you were afraid of him. You knew he didn't like you most of the time, but you never thought he would actually do something like this. Standing up slowly, you continued to look fearfully at him. His eyes flickered and you saw…a hint of…remorse? He took a small step toward you, "I…" he started to say, an apology framed on his lips. You took a step backward as he approached you, afraid of what else he might do. You continued to walk back slowly, away from his stunned face, until you eventually turned your heel and ran.

You didn't look back as you propelled yourself forward as fast as you could, your hair flying behind you. You didn't know where you were going; you just knew you had to get away. Tears were falling down your cheeks and you felt your lungs tighten and ache from the pace you were going at, and you didn't care. You breath came in loud gasps as you continued to run; your lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. You pushed forward to a point where you felt you couldn't go any farther without suffocating, when you got your second wind. Your lungs released just enough for you to keep going. The wind flew through your hair as you ran…you ran and you ran and you ran, trying to escape all the pain and all the sadness people were causing you.

* * *

**This scene actually came to mind _after_ I finished writing the orignial story. I couldn't help but add it in, though. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

--Seto's POV--

Ever since the day of her nightmare, you were angry with Nuitari. Seething with anger. No one had ever made you so unsure of yourself. Did you like her, or did you not? You couldn't do anything but scowl at her for the past week and a half. You were Seto Kaiba and you didn't have a thought for anyone beside yourself and your little brother. On the other hand, you did care for her…you had been struggling with this for some time now, but lately it had become more and more difficult. You didn't know that something could torture you this much! You eventually got your answer, though. When Joey insulted her and her family, your heart reached out to her. You longed to hold her in your arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

"…what would they say to you, huh?" Joey said to your dueling partner. She looked shocked for a second and your eyes widened as hers visibly darkened with an evil hatred. "_What did you just say to me, Wheeler?_" Her voice was low and threatening and you mentally shivered from the anger in her voice. You couldn't blame her, though. It was obvious that Wheeler didn't have a clue about what happened to her family, and he didn't consider it before opening his big mouth. "It's alright…Wheeler's not worth it," you said to her, about to place your hand at the small of her back. In an unexpected turn of events, she swatted you away. "What's it matter to you? It's not like you care!" Her reaction more than shocked you and you felt anger boil within you as your heart blazed in flame. How _dare_ she accuse you of not caring! Anger pumped through your body and before thinking about what you were doing, you raised your hand and slapped her. She landed hard on the ground and she looked up at you, her eyes holding something you had never seen before. Fear, pure fear…directed at you.

You immediately regretted what you had just done and you took as step towards her when she stood up. "I…" you began to say, but you cut yourself off. She had taken a step away from you and she continued to do so until she began to run away. You were left standing there, your body numb. "Kaiba! Why did you do that?!" Yugi screamed at you. You didn't answer, your mind still trying to process what you did. "K-Kaiba?" Yugi said, his voice shaking. "Are you…okay?" You still didn't say anything; instead, you turned your back to him and began walking towards the parked limo that had just arrived.

You told Roland to drive slowly as you continued to contemplate the earlier events. You didn't care? She didn't think you…_cared_? You thought and thought about it and you finally realized that she couldn't have known that you cared. You had been ignoring her and glaring at her for the past two weeks…and she could only assume you to be angry. When you arrived at your mansion, you walked in slowly, your head hung with shame. Mokuba had a sleepover that night so you wouldn't have to worry about explaining anything to him. You went up the stairs and saw that Nuitari's door was closed. So she had come back…you couldn't face her so you just went to your room. You sat on your bed for the rest of the afternoon and most of the night, not even bothering to eat. How could you? After everything she did to help you…and how nice she was to you…you turn around and repay her with a strike to the face? This was the first time you had ever hit a woman and you felt absolutely horrible. And the look she gave you…she was…scared of you. The only girl in your life that you had ever given a second thought to…and you had hit her. What kind of monster were you? You eventually drifted off to a dreamless sleep…

~~Your POV~~

You finally stopped running and looked up through your tears to see where you had ended up. You found yourself staring at some very familiar black iron gates. Seto's house? How did you end up back here? You didn't realize that you had run that far. You stood in front of the gates, confused and out of breath. Why here? Of all places, why here? You sat down against the gate as you began to think before it finally dawned on you. You wanted to talk to someone…you sought comfort. And your legs naturally took you to the only person that ever made you feel safe…Seto Kaiba. You didn't have anyone else to turn to! You cried and felt your hot tears wash over your now swollen cheek. What did you do to deserve all of this?

You finally stopped being sorry for yourself and stood up to get in. Luckily, Mokuba told you the combination to open the gate, otherwise you would have been locked out. You went up to your room, glad that Mokuba was away that night; you wouldn't be able to explain anything to him without bursting into tears. You showered and then took a good look at yourself in the mirror. Your eyes were dull and your cheek was slowly turning color. You sighed as you sat down on your bed. Why did you like him? After everything he'd done to you? Surprised as you were to admit it, you had trusted him. He wasn't the nicest guy around, but you somehow felt that he of all people wouldn't be the one to let you down. The last thing you heard were your soft sobs as you fell asleep…

The next morning, you woke up and you felt like your cheek was on fire. You looked in the mirror and sure enough, there was a visible bruise where Seto had hit you. You sighed, realizing that you didn't have make-up strong enough to cover it, so you just decided to leave it as it was. Plus, no one really talked to you at school, so you were hoping no one would ask. You got to the limo before Seto did, hoping that he wouldn't see your face. True, you were still upset and what he had done, but you didn't want him to feel bad…or worse, you didn't want to see him show no emotion toward what he had done. It was a good thing that you sat on his left side at school, too. This way, he could only see the right and un-bruised side of your face. You noticed people staring at you, but you ignored them, just like you always did. The whole school day went by, and very few people asked you questions. When they did, you just quietly said that you didn't want to talk about it. Most people left you alone, including Duke. You trusted him, too, just…not enough. You and Seto got in the limo to go home, and you were happy that you had prevented him from seeing your face. When you got back to the mansion, you heard Mokuba running to the living room to say hi to the two of you after his sleepover. "Hey, big brother! Hi Nui…" he began. You breath caught, but you knew he had already seen the bruise. "Nuitari! What happened to your face?!" Mokuba asked, shocked. Seto turned to look at you, but you turned, also, showing him your right side. "Nothing, Mokuba. Don't worry about it," you said as you began to go up the stairs to your room. "But…" Mokuba started again. "Not now, Mokie. I-I'll talk to you a little later, ok?" you said quickly, hoping not to hurt his feelings.

--Seto's POV--

You didn't say anything to Nuitari all day. You still couldn't bring yourself to do it. When you got home after school, Mokuba greeted the two of you. "Hey, big brother! Hi Nui…" Why did he stop? "Nuitari! What happened to your face?!" Her face? What about it? You turned to look at her but she turned around to go up the stairs. "Nothing, Mokuba. Don't worry about it."

"But…"

"Not now, Mokie. I'll talk to you a little later, ok?" Your little brother looked down and but didn't ask any more questions. Now you were curious; what was Mokuba talking about? You took the stairs two at a time, catching her right as she got to her room. "What happened to your face?" you asked her. She stopped moving, but she didn't turn around. "Face me," you demanded. She turned her head slightly so you could see her right side. "What about my face?" she asked shyly. "LET ME SEE IT," you said, getting angry. "No…" she said sadly as she turned back around. You grabbed her shoulders and spun her around…only to have a shock great your eyes. Her left cheek was black and blue and slightly swollen. The bruise covered most of her cheek and was roughly the size of the back of your hand. You felt yourself go weak…had you done that to her? Did you hit her that hard? Your heart sank as you answered your own question. How? How could you have done that? You reached up to stroke her face and you noticed her cringe when she saw your hand moving. She was still afraid of you…You touched her bruise lightly with the back of your fingers, making sure just to touch the skin and not put any pressure on it.

"I…I…I'm so sorry," you whispered. Her eyes widened slightly at your apology. "I…it's okay, Seto. I shouldn't have snapped at you," she said quietly. With that, she turned around one more time to go into her room, shutting the door behind her. You stood facing the closed door, wanting to walk away but finding that your body wouldn't let you. The image of the damage you caused was burned into your brain. The look of fear she gave you…the way you felt when she turned and ran…the black bruise on her face. All of it was your fault…

--Your POV—

Seto…apologized to you? You couldn't believe it…never would you have imagined that the great Seto Kaiba would say sorry…to anyone! You were still afraid of him, though, so you went into your room before he could say anything else to you. Your cheek tingled a little where he touched you…and you enjoyed the sensation. How could he be so rough…then be so gentle?

A few days later, on Friday, Duke was walking with you to science and he asked you a rather startling question. "So Nuitari…watcha doing tomorrow?" he prodded. "Um…nothing that I know of."

"That's good…so…do you wanna go have dinner together or something?" This caught you way off guard. You'd been so busy worrying about Seto that you didn't realize that Duke liked you. He was one of your best friends…and you definitely knew how much rejection hurt. Plus… maybe this would take your mind off of Mr. tall dark and handsome. You gave him a small smile, "Alright, Duke. Dinner tomorrow." "Perfect! It's a date then. I'll pick you up at Kaiba's place at 6:30." He winked at your astonished look as the bell rang for class to begin.

* * *

**Yet again, another of my favorite scenes. I love writing how Kaiba feels...**


	8. Chapter 8

~~Friday night~~

You and the Kaiba brothers were eating dinner when you decided to tell Seto about your alleged 'date'. "Seto?" you asked placidly. "Is it alright if Duke…picks me up here at 6:30 tomorrow? I'm going…to have dinner with him," you said, hoping to elicit some sort of reaction from him. He stared at you for a moment before humphing a 'that's fine'. You didn't get the reaction you were hoping for so you sighed and went upstairs. Again…he was so nice to you for a few moments the other day when he stroked your cheek…and now he acted like he didn't care.

Mokuba came in a while later to talk to you. You were grateful that he never asked any more questions about the fading bruise on your cheek. Instead, he asked, "Nuitari…I thought you liked my brother. Why are you going out with Duke?"

"Mokuba, I do like your brother. I like him a lot. And that's precisely why I'm doing this. You see…I'm getting to a point where looking at your brother is driving me crazy. Hopefully…something will spark between me and Duke and I can start to get over your brother," you explained. "Wait, you _want_ to stop liking Seto?"

"No, of course not!…I think. It's just that, Mokie, it's getting…painful for me. I just need something to…keep my mind off things."

"But how do you know my brother doesn't like you back?" he asked you curiously. "I can't explain it, Mokuba, but…I just…_know_. That sounds like a lame excuse, but…I'm sure you've been in the situation where your gut is telling you something, and you go with it, no matter how much it doesn't make sense. Same thing here…I just…just _KNOW_. Besides…your brother has made it clear on several occasions that he doesn't like me."

--Seto's POV--

Nuitari's cheek bruise was slowly going away and she seemed to be getting a little more relaxed around you. Then…she told you that that snake, _Duke_, asked her out. You felt slightly crushed, but…then again, who would blame her? You did hit her…but you also felt a jealousy boiling within you. You were beginning to really like her…and you were losing her to some PUNK! You fumed all of Saturday morning, dreading the moment that that runt would knock on your door.

The time finally came and it took everything you had not to punch his lights out when you saw him at the door. Nuitari left without looking at you and you promised yourself that if that half-pint did _anything_ to hurt her, you would kill him with your bare hands. You stomped up to your office and sat down angrily in front of your computer. "What's wrong, big bro?" you heard Mokuba ask you. "You've been acting funny for the past two weeks. What's gotten into you?" You didn't answer him. You couldn't answer him; you knew your voice would break. Mokuba paused before, "it's Nuitari…isn't it? You really do like her," he stated simply.

How was it that he was able to say it so easily when you couldn't even admit it to yourself? How was it that he was able to see something that had blinded you for so long? How was it that he was able to sense something that you were so oblivious to? You heard Mokuba sigh next to you, "Seto…why haven't you told her?"

"I can't," you whispered hoarsely. Mokuba sighed again, "well, you'd better do it soon. Since Duke's taking her to _Il Forno_, I thinks he's really serious about her." Did he just say _Il Forno_? How could that chump afford that restaurant? It was the best Italian dining in town and it was also the most expensive. You knew because you were the one who paid for the construction of it! And when you did, you insisted that cameras be installed…

You quickly went on your computer and hooked into the _Il Forno_ camera network. "SETO! What do you think you're doing?" Mokuba protested. You ignored him as you found the table that Nuitari was sitting at. You saw her smiling and laughing as you cursed Duke's charm. You had never seen her that happy, though, and you were actually saddened by the sight. You knew you would never be able to call forth that emotion from her. You watched them eat and talk some more, growing more and more jealous with each passing moment. After what seemed like an eon, they finally finished and left the restaurant. You closed the connection to _Il Forno_ and opened up the images from the cameras surrounding your mansion. These had audio capabilities and you sat back in your chair, waiting for Nuitari to show up on one of the screens. Mokuba had left you already, disappointed that you would spy on her. What other choice did you have? You wanted to know that she was safe…and that that snake wasn't getting close to her.

You finally saw that jerk appear on your camera. He was holding onto her hand and walking really closely to her. He smiled warmly as he let go to hold onto her waist in exchange. Nuitari looked startled but not exactly displeased with his action. The two of them stopped walking in front of the long, stone wall that surrounded your mansion. You cranked up the volume and heard, "Nuitari…what exactly is going on between you and Kaiba?"

--Your POV--

You had a really good time with Duke at the restaurant. He was so nice and charming, and you hadn't had that much fun in a while. Hanging around Mokuba was great and all, but it was nice to have a little time to enjoy yourself with someone closer to your age. Duke was holding your hand, and now he snagged your waist as the two of you stopped. "Nuitari…what exactly is going on between you and Kaiba?" he asked you. You mood immediately changed. You were having such a good time…why did he have to bring Seto into this? "I don't know, Duke," you answered truthfully. You trusted him as a friend, so you decided to continue. "I mean, I really like him but…"

"but he doesn't feel the same way," he finished for you. You looked down and nodded. "Well then maybe you should turn your attention to someone else," Duke said as he moved his face rather close to yours. "Someone who does feel strongly about you," he whispered, "someone like…me." You gently pushed him away. "I'm flattered, Duke, don't get me wrong. And I would be attracted to you if…you know. I'm sorry," He sighed but he kept his face at a close distance, much closer than you would have liked. "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd lose someone to _Kaiba_," he sneered. He leaned in even closer, his face softening, "but please, Nuitari. Just one kiss. That's all I'm asking for."

"N-No, Duke. I can't," you stammered, trying to get away but finding yourself trapped between him and the wall. You hadn't kissed anyone before and you didn't want to lose your first kiss to Duke…but rather someone else… "Please," he begged. "You don't have anything to lose." He pressed his lips to your unwilling ones and when you didn't respond, he removed them and stared intensely at you. "Just try, Nuitari. I know a small part of you wants to. Try. For me." He came at you once again and you parted your lips ever so slightly to kiss him back. His kiss was soft and you slowly and tentatively moved your lips with his. He didn't kiss you intently, just soft and sweet. Almost like he was testing you...testing? As soon as you realized that, he began forcing himself on you. His lips parted a little wider as his tongue flicked against your lips, trying to get in. You broke off immediately, your face blushing more than a little red. That first kiss really was an experience. "Duke, I can't. I…I can't." you said, panting slightly.

He sighed, "ok. I understand." He pulled you away from the wall and slowly began walking you back to the mansion. "It was worth a try, though, right?" he said, half-smiling. "Sure…" you said quietly, sad that you had hurt him. "I'm so sorry Duke," you whispered, leaning closer to him. He hugged you tightly, "I know, Nuitari...I know." You felt horrible. He was one of the few friends you had and you had to go and ruin it. Why did you have to like Seto? It's not like he liked you back anyhow. And Duke was so nice and considerate…that exact opposite of the CEO. And he definitely was a handsome man…just not _as_ handsome. The two of you arrived at the door and he gave a small chuckle, "well, I guess I already got my goodnight kiss, huh?"

Your face went blank and he winked at you. "Alright, alright, just kidding." You exhaled. This was the Duke you liked. "Friends?" you asked shyly. "Always." He said, hugging you briefly. Seto had opened the door and he wasn't looking too pleased. "Sweet dreams, Nuitari," Duke said as he kissed you lightly on the cheek. You didn't look at Seto as you blushed a furiously deep red. That wasn't exactly necessary for him to do at the door, _especially_ since Seto was standing right there.

--Seto's POV--

So Nuitari did like you…you heard it, straight out of her mouth. But…why? You were never nice to her…especially a few days ago. You couldn't think about it any further when Duke suddenly forced Nuitari into the wall as he leaned in closer. You eyes were glued to the screen, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't do what he was about to. "_I'm flattered, Duke, don't get me wrong. And I would be attracted to you if…you know. I'm sorry_," she said to him. She _would_ be attracted…to _him_? What the hell did she see in that bastard? "_I never thought I'd see the day when I'd lose someone to Kaiba_," Duke said. That dog would have to get used to it. He'd lose a lot more than a girl if he got any closer to her. "_Just one kiss. That's all I'm asking for_." "_N-no, Duke. I can't_," You clenched your teeth as you listened to this conversation.

…"NO!!!" Your fist slammed down onto your desk with more force than you thought you had. That bastard kissed her! You were standing now, fuming with so much anger that you didn't even feel the pain in your hand. You let out another feral growl as he kissed her again. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING TO HER? You stomped down the stairs, boiling with rage and jealousy. Duke and Nuitari had just arrived at the door when you yanked it open. "Sweet dreams, Nuitari," he said as he kissed her _yet again_ on the cheek. You screamed silently in your head as you watched him walk off and Nuitari walk in. You decided to give him a piece of your mind, so you slammed the door behind you and strode out after him.

"Devlin!" you yelled at him with as much anger as you could. He turned back at you, surprised. "What is it, Kaiba?" he asked impatiently. "Don't give me that," you bellowed. "You had absolutely NO business doing what you just did. I swear, I should just kill you right now."

"Now, now, rich boy, don't get your designer pants in a bundle. If you kill me, you won't get any answers. Now…what did I do that was so wrong?" he asked innocently. This nearly pushed you over the edge. "You know exactly what I'm talking about you snake! She specifically told you NOT to kiss her!" you threatened. "It's not like she pushed me away," he argued. "She _couldn't_, you dolt! You had her against the wall! You _knew_ she wouldn't be able to!" you said as you approached him menacingly. "You know what I think, Kaiba?"

"I don't exactly care,"

"Well, too bad, you're going to have to listen anyway. I think you're just jealous that she kissed me, and not _you_." He said, pointing a finger at you. That did it. You grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him a few inches of the ground so you could look at him at eye-level. "Listen here, you _dog_," you spat. "If you get anywhere NEAR her _one_ more time, I swear I'm going t—"

"To what? Kill me? Send your company goons after me? That's not going to get you anywhere Kaiba, so put me down," You snarled as you realized he was telling the truth. You let him drop to the ground as you released your grip. "That's better," he said, straightening his shirt. "Now I have one more thing to say, then I'll get out of your way." You fumed silently again, but you let him speak. "Kaiba."

He sighed angrily. "Alright, I'm _sorry_ I kissed her. Happy? I…it's just…argh! You know why I did it! She's too hard to resist! I mean…well, you should know. She's so beautiful…and sweet, and nice, and…and I cannot BELIEVE you haven't gone after her yet! I know, oh I KNOW you like her, Kaiba, and your reaction tonight definitely proves that. What the hell are you waiting for? She clearly likes you!! For the first time, something really good has hit you square between the eyes and you're doing _shit _about it! And because I'm _such_ a nice person, I'll let you in on something. A girl like Nuitari isn't going to stay single for long. You are so flippin'-ass _lucky_ that she likes you! Don't you realize that practically EVERY guy in our SCHOOL is crushing on her? Hell, in this CITY! People _look_ at her wherever she goes, and not exactly in nice ways, either. She needs someone to take care of her, rich boy! So you'd better step up and take the reins, or step aside and let someone else do it for you." He walked away from you, waving at you with his back turned, "Your choice, Kaiba."

What he said to you definitely struck a chord. You _did_ know why he couldn't stop kissing her. You'd been that close to her several times and it took all your willpower _not_ to get closer. And he was right…someone like Nuitari wouldn't be single for very long. Some guy would eventually snatch her up…unless that guy was you. You felt so conflicted inside, struggling with what you wanted to do so badly and what your pride was preventing you from doing. Wait…Pride? Was it really your pride preventing you from being with her? Or maybe it was fear…fear that you weren't good enough. Yes, that was it. For your entire life, you'd always felt above everyone else. You looked better, you were smarter, stronger, faster, everything about you was superior. But when you were faced with Nuitari…things changed. You felt that…you weren't up to her standards. Or maybe you were just doubting yourself. You didn't know what was happening. You had always been so sure of yourself, of what you wanted to do and what you wanted others to do. Then your life hid a solid wall. And that wall changed _everything_. You second-guessed a lot of things…you daydreamed…and you were developing your soft side! But she was so stunningly beautiful…and she liked _you_ of all people. You really did have feelings for her, and for the first time in you life, you didn't know what to do. You stood there on the sidewalk, thinking things over in your mind. As much as you hated to admit it, Duke was right. You had to make your move and show her that you cared…before she got swept away by some undeserving fool.

--Your POV--

Seto slammed the door behind you but you didn't see him when you turned around. Before you could open the door to look where he went, Mokuba entered the room. "Hey Nuitari!" he greeted you. "So how was your date?" You looked at him; still blushing from the kiss on the cheek Duke had given you. "Oh…that good, huh?" he said sadly. "Duke kissed me…twice on the lips…and once on the cheek," you said meekly, placing your hand on your heated face. "And? Was it…nice?" he asked, unsure whether or not it was an appropriate question. "Yes, Mokuba. It was…nice, but…he somewhat forced it on me. The second time was a little easier…but that cheek kiss is really making me blush, isn't it?" He nodded a 'yeah, that's obvious'.

"So…you like him instead of my brother now?" he asked quietly. You hadn't thought about that until that moment. Your eyes drifted off to the side as you ran it over through your mind. "…No, Mokuba. I don't," you said softly. "Yes, I said the kiss was enjoyable, but…somehow, it just didn't feel right. I mean, Duke is one of the best friends I've ever had, and he definitely is attractive. But that's all it is. Just…friends, nothing more. That spark I told you I was hoping for? Nothing. Not a thing. But with your brother…I feel…something inside me. Not sparks, granted, because that would mean your brother feels them too, but…oh, I don't know how to explain this, Mokie."

"Can you try? Please? I really don't get this stuff," he said, and you couldn't help but giggle and ruffle his hair. "Alright, here goes. I guess…

I've walking around in this world of…_darkness_ for quite some time now. Every single thing that brightened up my life just faded away…never to return again. I…I didn't know where I was going and I felt so…_alone_. Nowhere to go and no one to turn to. And then…when I met your brother…I saw something other than shadows for the first time. It was faint, but there was definitely something…glowing in the distance. I tried to ignore it at first, but every so often, the light would…pulse…and I'd feel this compelling urge to get closer. So I began heading towards it, slowly at first, then running full speed. It didn't matter how many times I stumbled…or fell…the light…it pressed me forward…beckoning me to it. When I finally got closer…I was blocked by…an ocean. I didn't understand what it was doing in my mind, but it was there for a reason, I supposed. I began to wade in, but found I couldn't go against the current…it was just too strong. Mokuba… you know how the tides ebb and flow? Give and take? Well…same thing. Every once in a while, the water would ease up and I'd be able to swim closer to that light. And in the next moment, the tide would turn, crashing down on me with an impregnable force. And other times…I would stand at the water's edge, letting it lap gently at my feet…but I never got to that…light. I wanted so badly to see what it was that I was striving so hard to reach. Then…a few weeks ago…the tide turned again, this time sweeping me closer and closer…until I finally saw what I had been looking for. You brother stood in the middle of that ocean…a tall, stoic figure, he watched me approaching. All that time, I had been wondering what I was fighting so hard for…and it was right in front of me the whole time. That light…your brother…saved me from that eternal darkness I was surrounded by. I felt…joy…for the first time in what seemed like forever…but that joy was short-lived. In a sudden change of events, the tide turned on me one last time. A storm rose up, forcing me away from him. It dragged me under and violently took me back to shore. I was…_so close_…and everything just went downhill. I decided to try again, forcing my way through the waves…praying that something would propel me forward again…but nothing happened. You have no I idea the…the _desperation_ and _longing_ I felt. Your brother was the _only_ thing I could see around me…and the only thing I couldn't reach. But tonight…I felt like I was just…floating. Duke held me above the water…and I was able to just…relax. But when he left…I fell back in. I'm pushing against the water again but…I don't know how much more I can take, Mokuba. A few more tries and…I might just…end up turning around…wading out…and walking away." You said the last few words in a whisper.

* * *

**I was debating whether or not to put in the whole first kiss thing. Somehow, it seems a little out of place, but I was hoping you could give me some advice on that.**

**Sorry about the last paragraph, I struggled with the words for it. The images are so _clear _in my mind, but I can't find the correct adjectives to describe it. But I hoped to convey that feeling of _darkness_...**


End file.
